Blackhawks 1 - 3 Canucks
Final
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Canucks down Blackhawks to capture Northwest Division

Apr 23, 2013 - 5:51 AM Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - For a fifth straight year, Vancouver has captured the Northwest Division title.

Thanks to a goal and an assist from Daniel Sedin, the Vancouver Canucks took a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.

The win has locked Vancouver into the third seed in the Western Conference for the upcoming playoffs, while Chicago has already clinched the top spot in the Western Conference.

With 73 points, Chicago remains three ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins in its attempt to capture its first Presidents' Trophy since the 1990-91 season. Both teams have three games left in the regular season.

Zack Kassian and Jannik Hansen both scored for the Canucks, while Cory Schneider made 24 saves to help the team win its second straight game.

"We're proud of what we've achieved here but it's just a start," said Schneider. "Our goal is the Stanley Cup and if we keep playing the way we did tonight we'll be there at the end."

Daniel Carcillo scored the lone goal and Corey Crawford posted 29 stops for the Blackhawks, who have dropped two straight following a seven-game winning streak.

"This was our worst game of the year," said Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville. "If it wasn't for Crawford the final score would have been a lot worse than it was."

The Canucks got on the board with 5:32 to play in the first while on the power play as Jason Garrison's shot from the high slot hit off the stick of a Blackhawk then the skate of Hansen before going into the net.

It was a 2-0 game with 8:23 to play in the second as Daniel Sedin sent a pass from the right side of the net to the front where Kassian shoveled it home for his seventh goal of the year.

Inside the final minute of the third, Vancouver made it a 3-0 game as Henrik Sedin banked a pass from the neutral zone off the right boards and Daniel Sedin caught up to the puck. On the clear break, he went forehand to backhand and pushed the puck in for his 12th of the year.

Carcillo got the puck in from the right side of the net after a wraparound hit off a referee, but it came with 8:10 to play and the Blackhawks couldn't put any more on the board.

Game Notes

Vancouver took two of the three games against Chicago this season ... The Blackhawks play in Edmonton on Wednesday ... Vancouver hosts Anaheim on Thursday ... Vancouver went 1-for-5 on the power play while Chicago was 0- for-2.






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